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Quantitative Psychology Commons

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Full-Text Articles in Quantitative Psychology

Applying Solution Behavior Thresholds To A Noncognitive Measure To Identify Rapid Responders: An Empirical Investigation, Mary M. Johnston May 2016

Applying Solution Behavior Thresholds To A Noncognitive Measure To Identify Rapid Responders: An Empirical Investigation, Mary M. Johnston

Dissertations, 2014-2019

Noncognitive measures are increasingly being used for accountability purposes in higher education (e.g., O. L. Liu, Frankel, & Roohr, 2014). Because these measures are often collected under low-stakes conditions, there is a concern students do not put forth their best effort when responding, which is problematic given previous research has found noneffortful responding can negatively impact the validity of results (e.g., Barry & Finney, 2009; Meade & Craig, 2012; Swerdzewski, Harmes, & Finney, 2011). Subsequently, there is a need to identify students displaying low effort on low-stakes noncognitive measures. One method, which is based on response time and can discreetly …


Examining Latent Change Classes: An Application Of Factor Mixture Modeling To Change Scores, Thai Q. Ong May 2016

Examining Latent Change Classes: An Application Of Factor Mixture Modeling To Change Scores, Thai Q. Ong

Masters Theses, 2010-2019

Although change scores are used in a variety of statistical methods (e.g., analysis of variance and regression), there is a lack of application of latent variable modeling methods to change scores. This thesis provides a detailed description of two latent variable modeling methods applied to change scores: factor analysis of change scores and change score factor mixture modeling. To illustrate advantages of these methods, both were applied to change score data from undergraduates. Students responded to sense of identity items during a university-wide assessment day on two occasions, once as incoming freshmen and again as second-semester sophomores. Change scores were …


The Effect Of Anchoring Vignettes On Factor Structures: Student Effort As An Example, Carolyn A. Miesen May 2016

The Effect Of Anchoring Vignettes On Factor Structures: Student Effort As An Example, Carolyn A. Miesen

Masters Theses, 2010-2019

Anchoring vignettes are used as a methodological technique for removing differential interpretation of response categories (DIRC) from scores on subjective self-report measures (King, Murray, Slomon, & Tandon, 2004). This technique requires participants to read one or more short scenarios, or vignettes, designed to represent various levels of a construct. Vignette ratings are used as an indication of DIRC, which is a source of differential item functioning (DIF). Prior research primarily used indirect methods for evaluating vignette quality. In response, the present set of studies proposes using invariance testing as a more direct evaluation of how the use of anchoring vignettes …


Birds Of A Feather Learn Together: Learning Community Outcomes Assessment Using Propensity Score Matching, Elisabeth M. Pyburn, Heather Dawn Harris Apr 2016

Birds Of A Feather Learn Together: Learning Community Outcomes Assessment Using Propensity Score Matching, Elisabeth M. Pyburn, Heather Dawn Harris

Showcase of Graduate Student Scholarship and Creative Activities

The goal of the study was to provide an example of propensity score matching techniques within the context of higher education assessment. At our institution, a select number of incoming first-year students participate in major-specific learning communities. Because the decision to join the communities is purely voluntary, one might expect that students who elect to join the program may differ from those who do not. Thus, important covariates related to self-selection into the learning community were identified. Two years of Arts learning community data were analyzed to compare the academic performance and civic-mindedness of learning community students to an arts …